Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM444’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM444’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; early flowering habit; inflorescences with light pink-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘RFAM444’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATION

Title: Poinsettia Plant Named ‘RFAM445’

Applicant: Tobias Dümmen

Filed: Concurrently with this application U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/999,428

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘RFAM444’. Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been made available publicly nor sold for more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create vigorous Poinsettia plants with attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-16-016, not patented. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the proprietary parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in December, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since December, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘RFAM444’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘RFAM444’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Early flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with light pink-colored flower bracts.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the proprietary parent selection in flower bract color as plants of the new Poinsettia have lighter pink-colored flower bracts than plants of the proprietary parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘RFAM445’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/999,428 filed concurrently. Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of ‘RFAM445’ in flower bract color as plants of the new Poinsettia have lighter pink-colored flower bracts than plants of ‘RFAM445’. Additionally, plants of the new Poinsettia are smaller than plants of ‘RFAM445’.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘RFPPG1’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘RFPPG1’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were broader than plants of         ‘RFPPG1’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘RFPPG1’.     -   3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were lighter         pink in color than flower bracts of plants of ‘RFPPG1’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘RFAM444’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 12-cm containers and were pinched one time about three weeks after planting the cuttings. Two weeks after pinching, the photoinductive treatments (long nyctoperiods) were initiated. Plants were 16 weeks old when the photograph and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘RFAM444’. -   Parentage: Naturally occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number     F-16-016, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, upright and outwardly             spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle, mounding;             inflorescences with large flower bracts positioned above the             foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 13.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 18.6 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about six lateral branches develop after pinching.             Length: About 8.7 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode             length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 7.6 cm. Width: About 4.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Color: Developing             and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A;             venation, close to 146C. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to             146D. Petioles: Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 183A. Color, lower surface: Close to             144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with             inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the             autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;             inflorescence initiation and development can be induced             under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; early             flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under             interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 10.1 cm. Height (depth):             About 2.7 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About eleven.             Length: About 4.7 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire; dentate.             Texture, upper surface: Glabrous; smooth. Texture, lower             surface: Glabrous; rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:             Developing bracts, upper surface: Close to 69A. Developing             bracts, lower surface: Close to 65D. Transitional bracts,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 69D. Fully developed             bracts, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 69D; venation,             close to 69D; color does not fade with development. Bract             petioles: Length: About 6.4 mm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About eleven. Length: About             4 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and             outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature: Inner             surface: Close to 143C. Outer surface: Close to 143B. Color,             mature: Inner surface: Close to 143B. Outer surface: Close             to 144B. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One. Length:             About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature             and mature: Inner surface: Close to 17A. Outer surface:             Close to 17C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             ten. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color: Close to             53A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.             Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:             One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Style length: About 2 mm.             Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma             color: Close to 59A to 59B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.             Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘RFAM444’ as illustrated and described. 